Boarding Pass to Eternity

“…and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:26 (NIV)

For weeks I had been packing in anticipation of this longed-for trip to the sunshine.  All during the damp autumn I cheered myself by adding an item to my list.  The time had arrived – we were at the airport checking-in desk.  I handed my husband the wallet with all our travel paperwork enclosed.  I admit that I was probably a little smug at the time, since I had carried out all the preparation of documents.  To my complete astonishment he asked me ‘Where are the passports?’  Somewhat impatiently I replied, “In the wallet.”  We both looked—they were not there!  I knew I had placed them into the folder, so where were they? No passport – no boarding pass.  My heart started to beat rapidly; our greatly anticipated holiday was beginning to look extremely unlikely.  Is this how dementia starts, I asked myself?

We stood to one side in the queue and started to unpack bags for several minutes.  My wonderfully patient husband said nothing, he simply continued searching.  I had mentally given up.  In my mind I was already on the motorway driving home dejected and forlorn.  People were passing us clinging to their boarding passes.  Suddenly the love of my life said, “Here they are!”  Apparently they had slipped out of the unfastened wallet and gone to the bottom of the hand luggage.

As I tried to re-compose myself on the aircraft clutching tightly my boarding pass, I reflected on how the only boarding pass we needed to enter God’s kingdom was to believe on our Lord Jesus Christ.  This was wonderful news to the dying thief on the cross, and it is wonderful news for us today—we need no paperwork, no check-in desk, no customs check – only a solid faith in our Saviour.  Jesus answered the thief on the cross, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Luke 23:43.  We are assured of a boarding pass into eternity through the blood of our Saviour.  Thanks be to Him.

Prayer
Thank you so much, Father, that salvation is not down to us.  Thank you, Jesus, for what you endured for us – the unworthy.
Amen

Study by Irene Wilson

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About the Author:
Irene Wilson is a Deaconess in the Watford Congregation of the Worldwide Church of God UK, where she also serves on the Pastoral Council.  Her son, Gordon, is Camp Director of S.E.P., a two-week summer activity camp that takes place on the bank of Loch Lomond, Scotland.  It is sponsored and run by the Worldwide Church of God UK, a part of Grace Communion International.  The camp is Christian in ethos but accepts campers from all denominations and faiths, or from none. For more information about S.E.P. visit http://www.sepuk.org

Local Congregation:
Worldwide Church of God Watford
St. Peter’s Church
61 Westfield Avenue
Watford,
Herts.
WD24 7HF

Meeting Time:
Saturday 11AM

Local Congregational Contact:
George Henderson
Phone:  01923-855570
Email: george-sue.henderson@tesco.net